Sat, Jan 1, 1994
Patriarch François Backeljau isn't interested when popular 'simpleton' son Franky announces and the newspaper confirms that a TV crew is expected to film the ordinary family's life, but that changes when he hears about the generous fee. Hearing Franky finally got steady, both parents insist he must bring along his beloved, albeit Jeanine, the asinine though gorgeous daughter of the neighborhood's pub and snack-bar family. Franky is ordered to have his brand-new tattoo removed. Jealous of the attention, his even dumber sister Sabrina decides to cook, without the slightest culinary talent or experience, so even devoted lover Antonio can't eat any of it. Jeabine brings her seven brothers, burly motor-bikers.
Sat, Jan 8, 1994
Despite another hefty tobacco price raise, Cois won't even consider trying to quit. However an idle bet, presumed impossible, forces him to keep his word when Maria's girls football (soccer) team accidentally makes the concrete construction 'league final' because their semi-final adversaries are disqualified for doping. Diet plans are forgotten within minutes. Maria's dirty talk on the field proves disastrous.
Sat, Jan 15, 1994
Grandmother Thérèse is arrested for shoplifting, vandalism and resisting arrest. Having far from mended her ways at the precinct, she's jailed without bail. The family, stuck with her unruly dog Blacky, is shocked and organizes visits to smuggle in files, but finds the jail-house is a cesspitt of illegal marijuana farming. By the time she gets out, media coverage assured lucrative sales of her autobiography 'A life full of pre-trial arrest'.
Sat, Jan 29, 1994
Franky's love-life suffers like the family home neighbor Marcel's from 'artistic endeavors'. Cois rehearse endlessly but desperately the part he accepted to play in amateur theatre, but ends up with extreme stage-fright. Grandma and two crone friends start rehearsing as a heavy metal band.
Sat, Feb 5, 1994
Unlike other years, birdbrain Sabrina isn't content with the usual birthday presents but handed the family a wish list beyond their budget. Rich lover Antonio however 'chips in' for a pink car. Father Cois finds giving her driving lessons so stressing he ends up catatonic. meanwhile grandma gets the motorbike Frankie dreams of, but theft and speeding soon end her fun when the police finds out.
Sat, Feb 12, 1994
Thanks to a newspaper competition, the girls go on Tyrolian holiday. Cois and Franky enjoy lazily lying around, until a friendly couple turns up, looking for a babysit while they start spending the fortune they won in the lottery during a Bavarian holiday. Eager for a huge but uncertain reward, hopefully a BMW, Cois volunteers his utterly incapable self and startled Franky, who makes the best of it. Luckily it turns out Antonio learned a lot from having six younger siblings and very busy parents.
Sat, Feb 19, 1994
François' annual nightmare arrives: his taxes. IRS inspector Firmin Deslechte visits, and is kidnapped to extort a refund, then hypnotized. Meanwhile the girls are hot on sales 'bargains'. So they wildly exaggerate the price of dog therapy after Franky punishes Blacky for vandalism.
Sat, Feb 26, 1994
François is heart-broken when lightning strikes and hits not only him, but burns out the beloved TV set, his only comfort among troublesome family. It's too much when Mia lets her sister, aunt Carla, drop by. In fact she only drop off her adorable 5 year-old son Lionel, smarter then all adults together, yet still easily led astray by grandma. François buys a new TV and takes a second job as early pizza baker to pay for it.
Sat, Mar 5, 1994
François's employer went bust, so he looses his mason job. Ma resumes her waitress job and puts him in charge of the household, a recipe for domestic disaster. Frankie's latest source of income is selling plush bananas, but acts suspiciously shifty. Sabrina also tries serving, but is far to blunt and rude, so everybody agrees she should apply for a public service job, and the police actually hires the airhead.
Sat, Mar 12, 1994
François tries to teach Frankie rabbit-hunting, or actually poaching. Grandma stops at nothing to defend the bunnies, from preaching and writing a pamphlet to reporting her (grand)son to the police. Sabrina already gave Frankie, Antonio and all neighbors parking tickets on her first day at the precinct, fitting in with fellow uniformed idiots who assume her connected with the mayor.
Sat, Mar 19, 1994
Grandma's reckless hobbies have run up such a huge bill in debts and damages that a bailiff is coming with a locksmith to confiscate the entire Backeljau home and its content. Sabrina fines them and has their truck towed, which buys some time. Selling off possessions doesn't raise nearly enough. An expatriate aunt's hideous, feared African gifts suddenly become important.
Sat, Mar 26, 1994
It's Friday the 13th, so superstitious çoi warns his children. They still go skiing on brushes, and return pretending to have multiple fractures- which scares çoi so badly he really falls and breaks a leg. Ma plans and packs half the home for a gastronomy weekend, and grandma for an archaeological dig in Indian country. The disciples of a Hindu swami play a surprising part.